Priyanka Gandhi Announces Financial Aid for Students in Madhya Pradesh as Election Promise

In a significant move, the Congress party in Madhya Pradesh has unveiled a comprehensive plan to provide financial assistance to school students. The announcement came from Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi during a public meeting in the tribal-dominated Mandla district on Thursday. The move is seen as a strategic response to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's ambitious Ladli Behna scheme, according to party functionaries.

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In a significant move, the Congress party in Madhya Pradesh has unveiled a comprehensive plan to provide financial assistance to school students. The announcement came from Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi during a public meeting in the tribal-dominated Mandla district on Thursday. The move is seen as a strategic response to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's ambitious Ladli Behna scheme, according to party functionaries.

Under the new program, the Congress party promises financial aid to school students if they secure victory in the upcoming elections. The scheme entails providing ₹500 per month to students in Classes 1 to 8, ₹1,000 per month to those in Classes 9 and 10, and ₹1,500 per month to students in Classes 11 and 12.

This initiative adds to the party's existing list of guarantees, which includes promises such as ₹1,500 per month for women, affordable LPG cylinders at ₹500, the reinstatement of the old pension scheme for government employees, a waiver on farmers' loans, and a 27% reservation for other backward classes (OBCs). Additionally, the party has pledged not to charge for the first 100 units of power consumption and to levy only a 50% charge on the subsequent 200 units.

A senior Congress leader, speaking anonymously, emphasized the need to counter Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's series of election promises designed to undermine the Congress schemes. He cited examples such as the Ladli Behna scheme, which provides ₹1,000 per month to women, with the promise of increasing it to ₹3,000 per month, and LPG offered at ₹450, challenging the Congress's ₹500 LPG scheme.

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The Congress believes that their new scheme for students will resonate emotionally with voters, as it centers on the future of children, who are considered the most precious gifts by their parents. This move is aimed at engaging voters on a deeper level.

Another party functionary revealed that the Congress has more surprises in store. Their manifesto will address the critical issue of employment, connecting with the youth and their parents on an emotional level.

In response to these developments, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan accused the Congress of making false promises, drawing parallels to their previous political engagements. State Congress media spokesperson Bhupendra Gupta, however, defended the Congress's initiatives, asserting that the "Padho and Padhao scheme" is crucial for the future of Madhya Pradesh, drawing attention to the BJP's adoption of the Congress's apprentice training scheme (ATS) with their "Sikho aur Kamao" label.